North Huntingdon care home, nursing agency sued by staffer following sexual assault claim
Dec. 4—A former nursing aide is suing a North Huntingdon nursing home and a Murrysville-based nursing agency claiming both firms failed to conduct an adequate criminal background check, which led to her being sexually assaulted last year by a coworker.
According to a three-count lawsuit filed last week in Westmoreland County, a former nursing aide accused the Grove at Irwin and Med Plus Staffing of Murrysville of negligence in connection with allegations that she was attacked by a co-worker, then required to continue on the job to care for residents.
The woman was identified only by initials in the lawsuit. She lives in Allegheny County.
She claimed that she and a man she identified as Daniel A. Odu, 35, of McKeesport worked together at the nursing home for about a year, during which time they exchanged calls and texts outside of work.
She said she was sexually assaulted by Odu on Feb. 6, 2021, when she entered a resident's room to make the bed. The woman said she encountered Odu in the bathroom when he made comments about her appearance, grabbed her and put his hands down her pants and asked if she wanted to have sex before he grabbed her by the neck, kissed her and fled, according to the lawsuit.
North Huntingdon police arrested Odu, and he is awaiting trial on charges of attempted rape, aggravated indecent assault and other offenses. According to court records, Odu was released from jail in March after he posted $25,000 bail. His trial is scheduled for January.
Representatives from the Grove and the nursing company did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the lawsuit, the woman claimed the Grove and the nursing company were negligent in not conducting an adequate background check that would have discovered Odu had a previous conviction for a domestic assault allegation raised in Allegheny County in 2017.
The Grove and Med Plus Staffing "knew or should have known about defendant Odu's background and failed to take any action to provide notice or protection to the residents, service agents and employees working with defendant Odu," according to the lawsuit.
The woman is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from both companies and Odu.
According to court records, Odu was sentenced to 18 months probation on a simple assault charge in Allegheny County in connection with a 2017 incident in Pittsburgh. He was ordered to complete a batterer's intervention program as part of probation.
Court records indicate Odu was charged in connection with two drunken-driving incidents later that year in Allegheny County and served 30 days in an intermediate punishment program and six months on probation.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .
